Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Small Things

Several small things in the works or done:
spindle bag outside

First up, the spindle bag. It looks a lot like a horse's feedbag: maybe I should just save myself some time and shop at the feed store? The other side:
spindle bag other side

Inside, there are 2 pockets for spindles, and 3 pockets for my niddy-pinny. Here it is empty:
spindle bag inside empty

And full:
spindle bag inside full

There is room for the two silk spindles (both Goldings), and the bombyx silk I've been spinning. It has a drawstring top, and a handle to sling it over a shoulder. Quite the success, for the first time out, although the second (and third? fourth?) bags will have some alterations. Maybe less of a feedbag look too. :)

I've got enough of the silk spun now to start knitting:
silk knitting yarn

Start being the operative word:
knitting silk start

This will take months to knit: it's a scarf or shawl, depending on how long the silk and I hold out. But it's to be travel knitting, and the traveling starts this weekend with a trip to Michigan, so it was time to cast on.

My last trip brought a few new small things too:
michael's pins

Silk pins,a gift from rug weaver and basket maker Michael Rohde, made with his hand-dyed yarns. He came to the lecture with a tiny copper and brass lap-loom, based on Archie Brennan's pipe looms for tapestry. I've been using a variation on Archie's loom plans for knotted pile, and tried a small version for travel using Michael's alterations:

pipe loom small

This is not as small as Michael's: mine is 12" x 18". I may try for smaller yet, but some of the constraints of knotted pile make for a slightly larger version than for tapestry: I need room for the shedding device, and enough room above and below the shedding device for the warps to move. This will fit easily in my usual travel suitcase, though, and it works(!).

And last, the smallest red shoes I have ever made:

red shoes

I'm going to be someones Grandma soon! :)

10 Comments:

Blogger Deanna said...

Oh boy oh boy! I bet the prospect of becoming a Grandma is really exciting, and those little booties are adorable!
Thanks for another lovely post (and I personally do NOT think the spindle bag looks like a feedbag - it looks like one that will conveniently stand on the floor next to your chair, open fully so you can get to everything easily, and just be generally useful and beautiful.

2:44 PM  
Blogger Lynn said...

Cool spindle bag! And congrats on the impending grandmotherhood!

3:37 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

those little shoes are so adorable!!! and the spindle bag has me scrambling to design one for myself..
awesome work!!! you are inspiring.

4:12 PM  
Blogger judy said...

I'd say a complete success!

But, the red shoes... a lifetime in the making. Congrats!! very cute.

5:08 PM  
Blogger Delighted Hands said...

Dorothy's have nothing compared to these ruby slippers! Beautiful.

6:04 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Wow! I bet that means a lot more visits to my neighborhood! Congrats.

10:29 PM  
Blogger Cathy said...

Congrats - I guess we need a Grandmother blog ring,huh?

Lovely spindle bag (I have spindle bag envy) and those red slippers... wonderful. Tho, of course, they would be red.

3:10 PM  
Blogger Charlene said...

Lovely little shoes. Lovely thought, but strange: you don't seem old enough to me to be someone's grandmother. I mean, you're barely older than I am, and I know I'm not old enough yet. (Screw the calendar).

So what if it's feed bag shaped? It's pretty and in Sara colours and looks very useful.

8:24 PM  
Blogger Luci said...

Having seen the bag in person, all I can say is I have bag envy. Besides, any horse that stuck it's nose in would be very disappointed.

9:09 PM  
Blogger Alison said...

Gorgeous bag, delightful shoes, and best of all, the news: congratulations! Have a wonderful time being a grandma! (I'm still in the wannabe stage, waiting...)

--AlisonH at spindyeknit.com

11:48 AM  

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